Chapter 118: This Long-Delayed Showdown, Thirty Years Late And Separated By A Lifetime, Is Finally Beginning

Pei Wenxuan and Li Rong fooled around until midnight, then he climbed out the window and slipped away.

Li Rong wanted to stop him, but he just smiled and said, “I still have something important to do tonight. Give me your token—I need to see Hongde one more time.”

“What are you going to do?” Li Rong frowned. Pei Wenxuan reached out his hand. “Just give it to me.”

Li Rong hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she handed the token to Pei Wenxuan.

Since the two of them were already together, there should be no doubts—only mutual trust. She didn’t want to destroy the foundation of this relationship at its very beginning.

Pei Wenxuan took Li Rong’s token, kissed her, and left in a hurry.

Li Rong lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and responded softly. After a long while, she raised her hand to cover her eyes, feeling a little self-loathing.

Her trust in someone had reached its absolute limit.

The fire in the Memorial Hall shocked the entire court. By the next morning’s imperial audience, everyone was talking about what had happened.

When the court convened, everyone waited for Li Ming to give an explanation. After all, he had personally gone to the fire scene last night. For such a major incident, there should be some news.

However, Li Ming didn’t mention it at all during the session. When the audience ended, he casually said, “The Memorial Hall caught fire last night, and many memorials were lost. If you submitted one, go register with the officials there. If it was burned, submit a new copy. If not, then forget it.”

As he spoke, Li Ming looked up at the crowd, seeming a little tired. “Anything else?”

No one spoke. Li Ming waved his hand. “Then court is dismissed.”

He stood up, and Fulai stepped forward to support him. He seemed exhausted, even struggling a bit as he walked down the steps.

Not long after he left, a young eunuch approached Su Rongqing and said respectfully, “Lord Su, His Majesty requests your presence.”

Su Rongqing’s expression remained calm, even gentle. “Do you know what His Majesty wants with me?”

The eunuch shook his head. “I don’t know, my lord. You’ll find out when you go.”

Su Rongqing nodded, thanked him, and followed the eunuch to the imperial study.

As soon as he stepped out of the hall, Li Rong instinctively looked toward Pei Wenxuan, who was chatting with someone. Pei Wenxuan happened to glance back at her, nodded slightly to reassure her, then turned back to laugh and talk with the others before leaving.

The ministers left one after another. Li Rong also walked out slowly. Before she reached the palace gates, a eunuch sent by Li Ming hurried over. Seeing her, he called out loudly, “Your Highness, please wait!”

Li Rong stopped and looked at him. The eunuch ran up, panting. “Your Highness, thank goodness you haven’t left the palace.”

“What is it?” Li Rong asked with a puzzled look. The eunuch caught his breath, bowed, and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty requests your presence in the imperial study. He has urgent business with you.”

Li Rong nodded and smiled at him. “Thank you for your trouble.”

“It’s my duty,” the eunuch replied, now breathing steadily. He raised his hand respectfully. “Please allow me to lead the way.”

Li Rong received the message and followed the eunuch to the imperial study. When she entered, Su Rongqing was kneeling on the ground, while Li Ming sat high above. The atmosphere between them was tense. Li Rong saluted Li Ming, who motioned for her to rise and granted her a seat. She glanced at Su Rongqing, then turned to Li Ming. “Father Emperor, you summoned me here because…”

“Didn’t you accuse Su Rongqing?” Li Ming looked at her and said bluntly, “Now that your memorial was burned in the fire at the Memorial Hall, I decided to call you here to confront him face-to-face. Lord Su claims he doesn’t know the monk Hongde. Pingle, what do you say?”

“What is there to say?” Li Rong smiled. “Whether he knows him or not—just summon Hongde and let him testify. Why should I speak for him?”

As she spoke, Li Rong cast a half-smiling glance at Su Rongqing. “It depends on whether Lord Su dares.”

“My conscience is clear,” Su Rongqing replied coldly. “If Your Highness has reached such a conclusion, someone must have misled you. I, too, would like Hongde summoned to clarify the matter.”

“Then summon him.”

Li Rong showed no fear, gently fanning herself as she looked at Su Rongqing. “Whether this is trickery or true innocence, we’ll know when he arrives.”

Su Rongqing said nothing. He didn’t look at Li Rong—whether out of fear or indifference, it was unclear. He simply lowered his eyes to the floor.

Li Ming waved his hand for someone to summon Hongde. Li Rong, still fanning herself, sat in place, though her heart was pounding.

The testimony was fake. If Hongde came, the truth would likely be exposed. After all, his son’s life was still uncertain—he wouldn’t help her now.

If Hongde entered the palace, everything would be over.

Fear gripped her; her palms were slick with sweat. The only person she could trust now was Pei Wenxuan—he would not betray her.

She forced herself to keep fanning casually, pretending to be calm. After a while, Li Ming turned to her. “He hasn’t arrived yet. Tell me what happened. You claim Su Rongqing incited Hongde to frame you—how so?”

Li Ming asked, and Li Rong rose to her feet, vividly recounting the story Pei Wenxuan had fabricated, blending it with what she knew. Essentially, Su Rongqing allegedly approached Hongde at Huguo Temple, threatening him with the life of his illegitimate son to coerce him into falsely accusing her of secretly helping the Crown Prince delay his marriage. Then, Su supposedly contacted Consort Rou to smuggle Hongde into the palace.

Li Ming and Su Rongqing listened quietly. Li Ming then looked at Su Rongqing. “Lord Su, what do you say?”

“Her Highness’s account is full of holes,” Su Rongqing replied calmly. Li Rong smiled. “Oh? Then please, Lord Su, point them out.”

“According to Her Highness, if I wanted to frame her, why would I choose the charge of helping the Crown Prince delay his marriage? Wouldn’t it be easier to accuse her of plotting treason?”

“You’d have to answer that,” Li Rong said lazily, still fanning herself. “Why didn’t you? How would I know? But you make a good point—if you weren’t framing me, why would I frame you with such a ridiculous reason? And from another angle, why would I even do such a thing? The Crown Prince is no longer young; arranging his marriage is urgent. If I truly cared for him, I’d help him marry a noble lady quickly. Why would I delay it? Surely you’re not suggesting”—Li Rong smiled—“that as his sister, I want to harm him?”

If she truly wanted to harm Li Chuan, Li Ming wouldn’t be so worried now.

“That’s a question for Your Highness,” Su Rongqing countered, tossing the argument back. Li Rong met his gaze with a bright smile but said nothing. This back-and-forth was getting them nowhere.

As they waited, Hongde was being escorted from the Censorate under heavy guard toward the palace.

Meanwhile, Pei Wenxuan knelt in a quiet room, holding a chess piece, playing a game with the man across from him.

The young man sitting across from Pei Wenxuan wore a black robe, clearly having come in secret. Seeing Pei Wenxuan’s relaxed demeanor, he frowned. “According to you, since Su Rongqing burned down the Memorial Hall, the testimony is gone. Now they’ll definitely bring Hongde into the palace. If Hongde enters the palace, won’t everything be exposed?”

“What if he never makes it to the palace?” Pei Wenxuan chuckled. The young man looked at him in surprise.

As Pei Wenxuan spoke, he turned to the window, a hint of reflection in his tone. “Clouds are gathering—it’s going to rain.”

While they talked, the sedan chair carrying Hongde moved steadily forward. No one noticed that as the wind picked up, blood was dripping from the bottom of the chair, leaving a trail along the road.

When the chair reached the palace gates, a guard lifted the curtain impatiently. “Get—”

Before he could finish, the guard froze. Everyone turned to look, drawn by his shock, and saw the monk’s robe soaked in blood, a dagger pinning him firmly to the chair.

“He’s… he’s dead!”

After a long moment, the guard snapped out of it and shouted to those behind him, “Report to His Majesty at once—Master Hongde has been assassinated!”

The messenger spun around and sprinted toward the palace. The news passed from one attendant to another until it reached the imperial study at lightning speed.

At that moment, Li Ming was sipping tea when a eunuch rushed in, dropped to his knees, and cried out, “Your Majesty, Master Hongde was assassinated on the way here!”

Hearing this, Su Rongqing, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Li Rong shot to her feet, shock and anger flashing across her face. “What did you say?!”

Moments later, Li Rong strode toward the door. “Quick, take me to see him.”

As she moved, Su Rongqing spoke up. “Your Majesty, please allow me to examine the scene as well.”

As an official of the Ministry of Justice, this case fell under his jurisdiction. But Li Ming stopped them both. “No one leaves. Let the coroner examine the body.”

Forced back to their seats, Li Ming gestured for Su Rongqing to sit. Su Rongqing bowed respectfully and complied.

The room fell silent. Li Rong wore a worried expression, but inside, she felt a wave of relief.

Su Rongqing had acted—Hongde was dead, and with him, the testimony. But in Li Ming’s mind, Su Rongqing could never wash his hands clean of this.

“With Hongde dead, there’s no testimony and no witness.”

Meanwhile, in the Princess’s residence, Pei Wenxuan spoke in a calm tone. The young man shook his head. “That won’t work. Without evidence, Father Emperor won’t convict Su Rongqing. He’s suspicious by nature—while doubting Su Rongqing, he’ll also doubt you and my sister.”

“Exactly,” Pei Wenxuan smiled. “That’s why we move to the third step. His Majesty will start verifying the truth of the Princess’s words. And what can he check now? Where Hongde’s son is.”

Pei Wenxuan placed a chess piece on the board. “Once that’s investigated, things will get interesting.”

As wind and rain swept in, inside the palace, Emperor Li Ming, Li Rong, and Su Rongqing waited for the coroner’s report, each harboring their own thoughts. Li Ming pondered for a moment, then turned to Li Rong. “You said earlier that Hongde had a son?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s in Lord Su’s hands?”

“Yes.”

“Fulai,” Li Ming called to his attendant, waving his hand. “Go investigate.”

Fulai respectfully acknowledged the order and withdrew. The three remaining in the imperial study continued to wait for the results.

“His Majesty may not be able to locate the child, but he can certainly find out how the child was taken. When too many things are done, oversights are inevitable. For example—” Pei Wenxuan lifted his gaze to meet Li Chuan’s across the table—”a neighbor might have accidentally witnessed the child being abducted and recognized the insignia of the Su residence. Such things happen, don’t they?”

A thunderclap roared outside, heralding a coming downpour. Pei Wenxuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and gazed into the distance.

After a moment of thought, he mused aloud, “Do you think I should go to the palace to fetch your elder sister?”

“But… aren’t the two of you pretending to be estranged?”

“Even if we’re at odds, appearances must be kept up.” With that, Pei Wenxuan stood and fetched an umbrella.

Seeing him about to leave, Li Chuan hurriedly asked, “What happens next? Even if Father learns that the child was taken by the Su family, what then?”

“If His Majesty already knows that Hongde sent someone out of the palace and that the child was taken by the Su family, then—even without concrete proof—who do you think he’ll believe?”

As he draped on his outer robe and headed for the door, Pei Wenxuan added, “Once His Majesty orders a thorough investigation, even the smallest crack will lead to the truth. Crown Prince, I must go fetch the princess now.” He turned back and smiled at Li Chuan. “Your Highness may do as you please.”

With that, Pei Wenxuan strode out.

Meanwhile, the coroner’s report was nearly complete. A servant rushed toward the inner palace with the findings. Outside the palace, the soldiers searching for Hongde’s young son found an elderly witness. After obtaining a rough description, one soldier immediately rode back to the palace to deliver the news.

At the same time, a young man hurried through the rain toward the palace.

The coroner’s report arrived first. After reading it, Li Ming looked up at the two waiting before him and said coldly, “It was suicide.”

“Suicide?” Li Rong repeated in disbelief.

Li Ming gave a faint nod. Just then, another attendant entered and whispered something in his ear.

Li Ming’s head snapped up, his icy gaze locking onto Su Rongqing.

Su Rongqing maintained an air of ignorance, feigning confusion at the emperor’s glare. After a tense silence, Li Ming suddenly bellowed, “Su Rongqing! Hand over Hongde’s child at once!”

Su Rongqing remained composed, stubbornly insisting, “Your Majesty, this humble official has no idea what you’re referring to.”

“Do you truly believe no one saw your crimes? You had the child kidnapped—did you think no one would find out?!”

“This is a false accusation!” Su Rongqing dropped to his knees. “If Your Majesty has a witness, let them come forward. I will confront them directly.”

“Confront them? What for? Hongde accused you, but his testimony was burned in the Petition Hall. The witness sent to the palace died on the way—supposedly by suicide! If no one was threatening his child, why would he kill himself? And now, when we investigate the child’s disappearance, it traces back to you! One coincidence can be dismissed, but this many in a row?!”

“Your Majesty is right,” Su Rongqing said coldly. “This humble official also believes this is no coincidence. Someone must be framing me.”

“Nonsense!”

Li Ming was so furious that he grabbed a teacup and hurled it at Su Rongqing. Su Rongqing didn’t dodge, allowing the cup—along with its contents—to strike his forehead. Tea splashed across his robes, and a trickle of blood seeped from the wound. Yet he remained motionless, kneeling on the ground, and said only, “I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly.”

“Good. Very good.” Li Ming pointed at him, nodding sharply. “Investigate? Fine, we’ll investigate. Guards! Drag Su Rongqing to the dungeons and interrogate him on his ties to Hongde—”

Before he could finish, a eunuch’s voice announced from outside: “Your Majesty, Vice Director Su Ronghua requests an audience.”

Hearing this, Li Rong tensed, her gaze darting toward the door. Li Ming frowned, hesitating for a moment before snapping, “Let him in.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Su Ronghua strode in with urgent steps. He dropped to his knees in formal salute, his usual carefree demeanor replaced by solemnity. “This humble official, Su Ronghua, pays his respects to Your Majesty.”

Li Ming, still seething, forced himself to rein in his temper and waved a hand. “Rise.”

“This official dares not.”

Su Ronghua remained kneeling, his voice steady. Li Ming studied him in silence, the room thick with tension. Li Rong instantly grasped Su Ronghua’s purpose—

He’s here to take the blame.

Her mind raced, calculating the implications. If Su Ronghua confessed to all the crimes, the testimony implicating Su Rongqing would suddenly appear suspect. Of course, Li Ming might find the timing too convenient to believe, but it would still cast doubt on the evidence. At the very least, it would level the playing field between the two factions.

The only one sacrificed in this gambit would be Su Ronghua himself.

Realizing this, Li Rong opened her mouth to intervene—but before she could speak, Su Ronghua said respectfully, “Your Majesty, I beg you to dismiss the others.”

Li Ming’s eyes bore into Su Ronghua. After a long pause, he flicked his sleeve. “Everyone, withdraw.”

No one moved. Su Rongqing’s gaze was locked onto his brother, but Su Ronghua ignored him. Seeing the disobedience, Li Ming’s anger flared anew. “What? Does the emperor’s command mean nothing to you?!”

At the outburst, Li Rong took a deep breath, stood, and bowed before exiting.

She and Su Rongqing stepped out one after the other, each taking a position on opposite sides of the doorway. Beyond the eaves, rain sheeted down like a drumroll heralding a grand performance.

In the distance, the palace gates creaked open. A young man in a blue robe embroidered with orchids strode through the downpour, a paper umbrella in hand.

Li Rong and Su Rongqing both watched his approach, while behind them, the emperor’s furious shouts echoed from the study.

Listening to the commotion, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“I’ve heard Vice Director Su shares a deep bond with his elder brother. Seeing it today, the rumors were true.”

She tilted her head, feigning curiosity. “Doesn’t it weigh on your conscience?”

Su Rongqing said nothing. His eyes remained fixed on the figure advancing through the rain.

The young man in the distance crossed the palace square, his figure the only splash of color against the curtain of rain.

“Your Highness,” Su Rongqing’s voice, usually clear and bright, carried a rare hoarseness, “there are times when one cannot afford the luxury of guilt. Those who walk a path of no return can only move forward.”

“I used to think the same—that people are forced forward by circumstance,” Li Rong smiled, watching the approaching figure. “But now I understand: roads are made by walking. If you never step forward, you’ll never know whether there’s a path ahead at all.”

“Perhaps it’s a cliff.”

Su Rongqing’s tone was icy. Li Rong turned to him, her eyes alight. “Then it depends on whether you’re willing to risk shattering on the rocks below.”

Su Rongqing finally tore his gaze from the rain to study her. “Would Your Highness truly gamble destruction for such a ‘path’?”

“Perhaps.” Li Rong tilted her head in thought. “But then again, I’ve always preferred taking one step at a time.”

“That doesn’t sound like you.”

“Rongqing.” Li Rong used the intimate address from their past life, startling him. Softly, she added, “People change.”

As she spoke, Pei Wenxuan reached them.

Raindrops cascaded like broken pearls from the ribs of his oil-paper umbrella. Beneath it, the young man lifted a face of refined elegance, his smile bright and eyes tender with a warmth reserved for one person alone.

When he looked up, his world narrowed to Li Rong. His voice, crisp yet playfully reverent, carried over the rain: “Your Highness, hearing of the storm, this humble official came to escort you.”

Then his gaze shifted to Su Rongqing.

The two men regarded each other across the rain—Su Rongqing impassive, Pei Wenxuan amused. In that instant, decades of rivalry, entanglement, love and hatred flashed between them.

“When I was still a student, I heard of Scholar Su’s brilliance. For three years we alternated as the academy’s top scholars, yet never once crossed paths.” Pei Wenxuan inclined his head. “An honor to meet you at last.”

Su Rongqing’s expression frosted over. He understood the subtext: this greeting wasn’t for the young Su Rongqing of this timeline, but for the man who’d schemed against Pei Wenxuan across decades—and had now returned.

That “honor” was both salutation and declaration of war.

Pei Wenxuan was telling him, plainly: I know you’ve come back too.

Precisely because he knew, he’d moved so swiftly to identify his target, executed his plans with such precision—every step textbook Pei Wenxuan strategy, layered with traps within traps.

Against his will, Su Rongqing smiled. Meeting Pei Wenxuan’s gaze squarely, he echoed with deliberate calm: “The honor is mine.”

Pei Wenxuan’s grin widened.

Thirty years delayed, spanning two lifetimes, their duel had finally begun.

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